FDG stands for: fluorodeoxyglucose - positron emission tomography (PET). The role of this procedure is to detect metabolically active malignant lesions including lung cancer, colorectal cancer, lymphoma, melanoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, brain cancer and multiple myeloma.

Most often used in conjunction with CT or MRI, it helps nuclear medicine physicians distinguish between healthy tissue and diseased tissue so that cancer can be accurately diagnosed, correctly staged, and appropriately treated.  But for many patients and their loved ones, the complexity of an FDG PET scan can make the experience of getting one confusing and challenging to navigate.